Chapter 1467 Exchange of Interests
He Li actually had limited liquidity on hand. The reason why he proposed this plan was because he was worried that the other three companies would not be able to raise enough funds and would break up the partnership. He has already investigated the financial strength of these three families. The only way to force them to come up with more money is to sell their properties. These people may not have the courage to burn everything. It is better to find a way to raise the money by themselves. Putting the project into operation is also a good way to firmly control the future operation of this small group in his own hands.
It was very difficult for He Li to come up with eight thousand taels of silver at once, but he had already thought of a solution, which was to ask his brother He Xiao for help. He knew that his brother acted as a messenger between Haihan and the prefect of Ningbo, and received a lot of benefits from it. Although most of it was invested in the plantation developed by Haihan in the south, he must still have some cash balance on hand. Let's borrow it to fill the hole in our own funds. Moreover, he could also use this opportunity to ask his brother about his views on the development of Liaodong and learn more about plantation management.
After signing the contract, He Li and others did not delay any longer on Zhoushan Island, and returned to Ningbo by boat that evening. After landing, He Li said goodbye to the other three people, and then went straight to He Xiao's home in a sedan chair without even returning home.
He Xiao was dealing with some yamen official documents in the study, and he seemed not surprised at all by his appearance: "Seeing as you came in such a hurry, you must have won the bid, right? If you failed, you would have probably gone to find a place to drink to drown your sorrows by now. ”
He Li smiled and said: "Big brother still understands me! I have obtained this carrier qualification, but the conditions offered by the Haihan people are also quite harsh. I still need big brother's guidance."
He Xiao did not continue talking about this topic with him immediately, but first turned to something that seemed irrelevant: "You rushed back from Zhoushan Island in a hurry. Judging from the time, you probably haven't had time to have dinner yet, right?"
He Li nodded and said: "Business matters first. Originally, the Haihan people also held a reception dinner. After thinking about it, we felt that it was not necessary to attend. In addition, there were still many things that we had to rush back to deal with separately, so after signing the contract, we Came back by boat immediately.”
He Xiao stood up and said: "Let's eat first. It just so happens that I have just asked my servants to prepare dinner, so let's eat together."
Seeing that his brother was unwilling to talk about the carrier at this time, He Li quickly calmed down and accepted He Xiao's suggestion. The two brothers have supported each other for many years and have a tacit understanding. Since He Xiao is not in a hurry, it means that this matter should be within control, and He Li naturally does not panic.
He Xiao has always been very low-key in terms of living conditions, so the dinner at his home will naturally not be an extravagant banquet. What is placed in front of the two brothers is only four or five home-cooked dishes and a pot of rice wine worth one tael of silver. The two brothers only chatted about the weather and seasons, and did not mention anything related to carrier recruitment during the dinner.
It wasn't until after dinner that the two returned to the study, and He Xiao ordered his servants to serve a pot of hot tea, then they calmly started talking about business.
"You said earlier that the conditions proposed by the Haihan people were very harsh. It must be the deposit that makes you feel embarrassed, right?" He Xiao hit the nail on the head, and He Li nodded in agreement.
He Xiao continued: "Haihan people want new merchants to enter this industry, and they have to set up thresholds to exclude those weak merchants. Of course, it is easiest to make a fuss about the deposit. Let's talk, Haihan people finally settled on How much, eight thousand or ten thousand?”
"Ten thousand. You have to deposit it into Haihan Bank first before you can count." He Li responded: "It won't be a big problem for me and the other three companies to come up with this amount together, but the problem is that just paying the deposit is far from enough." It’s far from enough. To make this matter work, there must be some money on the books. The three companies will have no money left after paying the deposit, so I can only take the lead.”
He Xiao pondered: "How far do you think it is?"
He Li said: "The four of us have collected 12,000 taels of silver. I can get at most another 3,000 taels of silver. If I can get 20,000 taels of silver, it will probably be more stable."
"That means there is still about five thousand left." He Xiao nodded and said, "I can pay for this money, but have you thought clearly about how to make profits through the northern route? If you don't have a clear plan, even if you invest more It’s hard to get the benefits you expect if you don’t pay too much.”
He Li said: "I met a broker selling information on Zhoushan Island, and I found out some interesting things. Maybe I can get some insights from it."
He Li did not conceal the story of how he was deceived. He recounted to He Xiao exactly what he heard at that time. He did not even conceal the subsequent fact that the other three people were collectively deceived. After hearing this, He Xiao couldn't help but laugh and said: "There are such interesting things, this is really a great experience! Fortunately, the loss is not too big, just think of spending money to buy a lesson!"
He Li nodded and said: "I don't take this matter too seriously, but it's the Liaodong plantation he mentioned. I don't know whether it is true or not, and how to operate it. I would like to ask my elder brother for advice."
He Xiao pondered: "The areas occupied by the Haihan people often promote such plantation projects. Judging from the business conditions in the south, they can basically make a lot of money. However, what will happen to the crops grown in the northeast of Liaoning? As for the harvest, I have never been to the area, so it is difficult to make a clear judgment, but the Haihan people always plan things before they act. They must have made plans long ago and will not do loss-making business. As for how to operate, I think you can only do it. Only after going to the local area and contacting the Haihan officials there can we make a clear decision.”
He Li asked: "How did the plantation that eldest brother invested in the south be operated?"
He Xiaodao: "When Haihan came to Zhejiang, their plantations in the south had become popular. Businessmen from Fuzhou and Guangzhou were vying to enclose land on the island of Taiwan. Everyone knew that it was a sure-profit business. , as long as you are willing to invest money, all procedures will be handled by an agency. However, since the land of Liaodong was recently taken back from the gold thieves, even if Haihan wants to develop it, it should not be as smooth as the south. In my opinion, I can bet on it. Bet, the sooner you place your bet, the more rewards you will get later!" He Xiao's encouragement cheered up He Li. What he had been a little unsure about was Haihan's so-called development plan in Liaodong. If He Xiao If he has doubts about this, he probably won't dare to invest money easily to take risks, but since He Xiao is also very optimistic about this matter now, it means that there is indeed room for maneuver.
These two brothers are both quick-thinking, so they seized the opportunity of Haihan's entry into Zhejiang and made a fortune. Now that there is a new opportunity to make money, the He brothers will not let it go easily, even if they have to invest a lot of money for it. And facing considerable business risks, they felt it was worth a try.
However, the two brothers, one as a think tank of a senior official of the Ming Dynasty, and the other as an operator fighting at the forefront of the shopping mall, naturally know the high risks of this kind of project. Not only the economic aspect may lead to the loss of everything, but more importantly What's more, the situation in Liaodong is still undecided, and it is still undecided what the imperial court's attitude will be towards Haihan's actions in Liaodong. It would be fine if the two countries could coexist peacefully, but if the two countries fall out because of the ownership of Liaodong, then going to Liaodong to purchase land and property now is tantamount to treason, and may be liquidated by the court in the future. Even if He Xiao is protected by the prefect Qu Yutong, he may not be able to sleep peacefully.
He Li's qualification as the carrier of the northern route actually means that he has already stepped out of the Ming Dynasty. To put it seriously, it can be regarded as collaboration with the enemy. However, at this stage, the Ming Dynasty has not yet broken up with Haihan, while Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Haihan There are too many merchants doing business. Even if someone wants to liquidate, it will be difficult to uproot the intricate interest network in this area in a short while. There are at least a dozen civil servants at the prefect level and military attachés at the command and envoy level who have close ties with Haihan. If you want to change things, you must first arrest a large number of people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang officialdom and put them in jail. And this Obviously it is no longer something that can be settled with an edict or a random imperial envoy from the capital.
Of course, big shots can withstand wind and rain, but Xiami like the He brothers, who don't even have official status, may not be able to withstand such changes. Once there is any trouble, the big shots may be pushed out as scapegoats. So for them, in addition to thinking about how to make money, they also need to think more about how to protect themselves. He Xiao's method was to gradually transfer his family and property out of the Ming Dynasty and put them on Haihan's territory for greater peace of mind. Now that He Li has obtained the qualification to be a northern route carrier, he may have to consider measures in this regard.
However, compared to other businesses that act as agents for local civil and military officials, the He brothers have a unique advantage, that is, the marriage between Ningbo magistrate Qu Yutong and Haihan senior official Shi Diwen was almost entirely due to He Xiao's It was the threads and threads in the middle that brought about this cross-border marriage, ensuring that Ningbo Prefecture, the Ming Dynasty Prefecture closest to Zhoushan Island, did not cause chaos because of the Haihan garrison nearby, and also made the trade between the two countries greatly prosperous. The civil and military affairs of Ningbo Prefecture Most officials also became rich. The prefect Qu Yutong was grateful for He Xiao's efforts and trusted him far more than ordinary staff. The relationship between the two was not only a superior-subordinate and employment relationship, but also a partnership and friend.
In fact, some of the plantations purchased by He Xiao in the south were assets purchased in his name on behalf of Qu Yutong. However, this matter was related to Qu Yutong's future official career and was naturally not open to outsiders. He Xiao didn't even reveal it to He Li, so He Li always thought that He Xiao's family fortune had reached an astonishing level.
Because of these deeper interest entanglements, He Xiao also trusted Qu Yutong, and he thought that the job that He Li was currently taking might require another endorsement from the Ningbo government. So He Xiao took He Li to the prefect's Yamen the next day and gave Qu Yutong a brief introduction to the whole story.
As the chief executive of a government, Qu Yutong naturally views the problem at a much higher level than ordinary businessmen. After listening to He Xiao's story, he roughly understood the other party's intention: "Sir, what he means is, give the order again." An official job for my brother, so that he can be more convenient when running errands for the Haihan people?”
He Xiao responded: "Your Excellency, it is clear that this is the intention of this humble position."
He Xiao's plan was to provide He Li with another layer of insurance. He begged Qu Yutong to give He Li a sinecure in the name of Ningbo Mansion, and then send the fleet under his name to the north to run errands for the Haihan people. Using an official job, even if it's just a show, can at least stop a lot of people's mouths.
Of course, this measure does not seem to have any direct benefits for Qu Yutong. If it were not for the special relationship between the two, and Qu Yutong himself has a close relationship with Haihan, he would not have much objection to it. He Xiao Naturally, I didn’t dare to ask him for such a favor.
However, He Xiao also understood Qu Yutong's psychology. If there was no benefit at all, why should he let his immediate superior work for him? So he went on to say: "I heard that Haihan also has many plantations in Liaodong to be developed. What should I do?" After Li went to the north to explore the situation, maybe you can try to buy some properties in the north.”
Qu Yutong said calmly: "Are the Haihan people so fast? If you have a chance, you can try it."
He Xiao knew why Qu Yutong was so calm and continued: "Sir, if Shi Diwen wants you to ask before he is willing to come forward, then it is better not to ask."
Qu Yutong was married to a high-ranking official in Haihan, so he didn't pay much attention to He Xiao's suggestion. After all, in terms of close relationship, Qu Yutong believed that he could still get Shi Diwen to help get a piece of land in Liaodong. But after hearing He Xiao's last words, Qu Yutong also fell into deep thought. If Shi Diwen took the initiative to bring up this matter and even wanted to help him get land in Liaodong, he would naturally intend to give him a favor. But if Shi Diwen had to ask himself before reacting, then even if he finally got the land, it wouldn't be too smooth. And letting the He brothers come forward to acquire land in Liaodong will not affect the relationship between themselves and Shi Diwen.
The relationship is actually not complicated, but officials like Qu Yutong will inevitably think deeply when thinking about problems, thinking about failure before winning. Whether the deal can be successful or not is secondary. His priority is whether his personal relationship with senior officials in Haihan will be affected by this. This is one of the things he relies on to gain a firm foothold in Ningbo Mansion.
It was precisely because He Xiao had grasped the complex mentality of his boss that he made such a suggestion. Even Qu Yutong, who is the prefect, can hardly guard against such small schemes of people around him.
After Qu Yutong thought for a moment, he nodded and said: "Sir, what you said makes sense. According to your wishes, I will give your brother a sinecure job of purchasing supplies. You will also draft the relevant official documents."
(End of chapter)